Buoy.



no; 628 50s. I l c. B. WETTERBERGH.

BUUY.

(Application filed July 18, 1895.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

3 :5 a 21:; r V 4 3 3 2; m m

1 5 l t M 5;; i H I 7% 22% 4 No. 628,506. Patented luly ll, I899.

C. B. WETTEBBERGH.-

BUOY.

(Application filed July 18, 1895) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Invarfior;

\ amm CARL BERNHARD \VETTERBERGI-I, OF MALMO, SWEDEN.

BUQY.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters mat No. 628,506, dated July11,1899.

Application filed July 18,1895. Serial No. 556,342. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that T, CARL BERNHARD WET- TERBERG-H, of Malmo, Sweden, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Buoys, of which the followingis a specification. This invention has reference to bell-buoys whichconsist of a buoyant frame or body sustaining abell which is rung togive an audible signal by the rocking of the body due to the motion ofthe water. It is usual to anchor buoys of this character by means of achain or equivalent fastening connected to the bottom or thesides of thebody at a point removed from its true center of gravity. Hence the bodyin attempting to rock on an axis located at its center is resisted andretarded by the chains, the weight of which, owing to their connectionat a point outside of the center of gravity, must be carried by thebody. This resistance interferes materially with the free movement ofthe body, which is necessary to its effective and proper action. Toobviate this-objectionable resistance to its motion and to secure thefree movement of the body under the influence of the motion of thewater, I connect the anchoring devices to the body at a point within thesame coincident with its true center of gravity, the result being thatthe motion of the body when it is rocked being around this point as anaxis the weight of the connecting devices is not borne by the body, andhence. there is practically no obstruction by these devices to its freeand unlimited movement.

The invention consists also in the details of construction andcombination of partshereinaftcr described and claimed.

-In the accompanying drawings,- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of a buoy having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line a a ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line I) Z) of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 1 represents an inverted conical hollow body,preferably of sheet metal and containing a closed annular chamber 2,rendering the body buoyant; The upper side of the body is flat and hasfirmly fixed to' it an arched frame 3, consisting of bars 4, havingtheir lower ends firmlyfixed to the top of the body and their upper endsunited at a central point, the said bars being held rigidly in positionby suitable braces, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. Rising from the centerof the body within this frame is a standard 5, to the top of which isfirmly fixed a bell 6, the

bottom of the standard being formed with an inwardly-extending annularflange '7, seated upon the top of the conical body and held down by adisk or washer S, seated on the flange and-perforated to receiveafasteningbolt 9, which extends downward through the top of the body, itslower end being formed with an eye 10, the purpose of which willpresently appear.

From the upper ends of the bars 4 I loosely suspend three bell-tappers11, each provided at its lower end with a tapping-head in position to,contact wit-h the peripheral edge of the bell as the latter is rockedback and forth bythe motion of the sustaining-body. About midway oftheir length the tappers are connected to the inner ends-of chains 12,which have their outer ends connected to the three bars comprising thearched frame, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. The purpose of these chains isto prevent the tapping-heads from lying against the bell and deadeningits sound. By reason of the fact. that the tappers are capable of a freeuniversal movement their connection by the chains will cause them tomove in an arc, of a circle adjacent to the edge of the bell, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig 4, the result being that they contactwith the bell at one point only.

I prefer to connect the upper ends of the tappers (to admit them to moveuniversally) by forming thereon eyes 13, which are interlocked withsimilarly-formed eyes 14, fixed to the frame-bars, as shown.. It isunderstood, of course, that any other form of joint may be adopted toinsure their proper action.

In the center of the hollow conical body I introduce and firmly fix atube 22, which has its upper end closed by the top of the hollow bodyand its lower end open, as shown in Fig. 1. The purpose of this tube isto admit of the connection of the anchoring devices at a point withinthe body coincidingwith its true center of gravity; and in the presentinstance I have shown the buoy anchored by means of arod 15, extendingupward into the tube and having its upper end in the form of connectionof the anchoring-rod at a point within the body coincident with thecenter of gravity of the same it will be observed a that as the motionof the body is around that point it is not compelled to carry the weightof the chains or other connections, as would be the case if they werejoined to the body at a point beyond the center of gravity.

In order to prevent the edge of the tube 19 to limit the motion of thebody with respect to the rod and connect these chains at their oppositeends to the body andto the rod, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

While it is possible to calculate to a certainty the true center of thebody, it has been found that a simpler plan is to approximate thiscenter and to thereafter adjust the parts until by trial the correctcenteris found. With this end in view I so mount the bolt 9, to whichthe anchoring-rod is jointed, that the former may be adjustedvertically, and this I accomplish by fixing to the inner side of thetube aframe 20, through which the bolt passes near its lower end, and tothe bolt, between this frame and the eye 10,.I apply a series ofremovable washers 21. By removing one or more of these washers andscrewing up the nut on the end of the bolt the latter may be movedbodily vertically, the result being that the point of connection betweenthe body and the anchoring-rodis correspondingly elevated. B y applyingadditional washers it will be understood, of course, that this point maybe lowered in a corresponding manner.

While I havein the drawings illustrated and in the specificationdescribed a construction which I prefer to adopt and which has beenfound in practice to answer satisfactorily the ends in View, it will beunderstood that the details may be modified within reasonable limitswithout departing from the spirit of myinvention, the essence of whichresides in connecting the anchoring devices to the buoyant body withinthe same at a point coincident, or substantially so, with its truecenter of gravity.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a bell-buoy the inverted conicalbody having a central tube or opening in combina- -tion with a bell andstriking mechanism mounted thereon and an. anchoring connection jointedto the body at 'or about the center of gravity of the buoy.

2. In abell-buoy the combination ofa buoyant body a bell mountedcentrally thereon, an overhead framework also mounted on the body andprovided with pendent strikers to act externally on the bell and ananchoring connection loosely jointed within the body at the center ofgravity.

3. In abell-buoy the combination of the following elements: a buoyantbody having a central opening, a bell and striking mechanism mounted onsaid body, a weighted anchorrod 15 looselyjointed at its upper end tothe body at the center of gravity of the buoyand an anchoring connectionto the lower end of said rod; whereby the body is caused to rock withfreedom in order to effect the sound of the bell and the anchor-rodmaintained normally in a vertical position so that it does not preventthe motion or chafe against the body.

4:. In a bell-buoy the combination with the buoyant body having thecentral tube, of the bell and striking connections mounted on said body,the anchor-rod having itsu'pper end jointed loosely within the body ator near the center of gravity, and the series of chains 19 limiting themotion of the buoy in relation to the rod.

5. In a bell-buoy a buoyant body havinga central opening in combinationwith a bell .and striking mechanism mounted thereon, a

rod, a join-ted connection between said rod and the body located at ornear the center of gravity, and means substantially as described forvertically adjusting said connection; whereby the rocking motion of thebody and the action of the bell may be modified at will.

6. In a bell-buoy the buoyant body in the form of an inverted cone witha central tube or opening, in combination with a bell, gravitatin gstrikers mounted thereon the weighted anchor-rod, the eyebolt 10,abearing for said bolt in the body, and nuts and washers for securing andeffecting vertical adjustment of the eyebolt; substantially asdescribed.

7. In combination with a buoyant body, a bellfixed thereto, an archedframe sustained bythe body and extending over the bell-tappers jointedat their upper ends to theframe and movable universally, and connectingdevices jointed to the frame and to said ta'p pers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 8th day of May, 1895,in the pres ence of two attesting witnesses.

CARL BERN-HARD WET'IER BERGH.

Witnesses:

' JULIUs KEIDING,

BRoX FLENSBURG.

